KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will begin weekly direct flights from Lahore to Baku on Sunday, the national carrier said, marking its latest step to expand travel links amid Islamabad’s push for deeper connectivity with Central Asian states.
The move comes as Pakistan strengthens diplomatic and trade ties with Azerbaijan, a key partner in its broader regional outreach. The new route is expected to boost tourism, business travel and cultural exchange between the two countries.
“PIA will start weekly flights from Lahore to Baku from Sunday, April 20,” the airline said in a statement on Saturday. “The first flight to Baku will depart tomorrow morning, carrying 174 passengers.”
The announcement was made at a roadshow organized in Lahore ahead of the launch, attended by travel agents, tour operators and tourism industry stakeholders.
PIA officials briefed participants on the airline’s expansion plans and encouraged greater collaboration to promote regional travel and tourism.
“Baku is rapidly emerging as one of the world’s leading tourist destinations, known for its beautiful cityscape, culinary scene and rich religious and cultural heritage,” the official PIA statement continued, adding that Lahore would see more international destinations added in the near future.
The new flight service is seen as part of Pakistan’s ongoing quest to improve air connectivity with countries in Central Asia, where it has been seeking to expand trade and diplomatic engagement in recent years.
PIA to launch first direct Lahore-Baku flight on Sunday amid push for regional connectivity
https://arab.news/w3kax
PIA to launch first direct Lahore-Baku flight on Sunday amid push for regional connectivity
- The announcement was made at a roadshow organized in Lahore ahead of the launch
- The new route is expected to boost tourism, business travel between the two countries
Pakistan army says one soldier, eight militants killed in multiple engagements in northwest
- The encounters took place in North and South Waziristan, Khyber and Bannu districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
- Pakistan has seen a surge in militancy in KP since its fragile truce with the Pakistani Taliban broke down in late 2022
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan army said on Monday one soldier had died while security forces killed eight Pakistani Taliban militants in multiple engagements in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
Three militants were killed in an encounter in the North Waziristan district that borders Afghanistan, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
Two militants and a Pakistani troop were killed in an intelligence-based operation in the neighboring South Waziristan district. Security forces gunned down another three militants in two engagements in Khyber and Bannu districts.
“Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the killed khwarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities,” the ISPR said in a statement. “Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Kharji [Pakistani Taliban militant] found in the area.”
Pakistan has struggled to contain a surging militancy in KP in recent years, where the Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have mounted their attacks against security forces and police since their fragile, months-long truce with Islamabad broke down in late 2022. Islamabad has frequently accused Afghanistan of supporting the Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups, an allegation denied by Kabul.
The latest operations follow the killing of five TTP militants and the arrest of two others in KP, while the military said late last month it had killed 71 militants while infiltrating Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan in North Waziristan.
The number was usually high in Pakistan’s battle against militancy and instability along its border with Afghanistan during the nearly four years since the United States withdrew its military support from the country and the Taliban took over Kabul.
The South Asian country is also facing an intensifying insurgency by armed separatist groups in its southwestern Balochistan province.
Pakistan dispatches another shipment carrying 97 tons of relief goods for Gaza
- The development comes as death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza rises to 52,567
- Pakistan has sent a total of 1,615 tons of relief aid for the war-torn Palestinians
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has dispatched 97 tons of humanitarian aid for the war-affected people of Gaza, its National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Monday, as Israel voted to scale up the offensive against Hamas in Gaza to the point of seizing the entire enclave.
The death toll in the Gaza Strip due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war has reached 52,567, according to Palestinian authorities. In the past 24 hours alone, 32 people were reportedly killed and 119 others injured, bringing the total number of injuries to over 118,600.
Pakistan’s NDMA said the latest shipment, which is the 16th aid consignment for Gaza and the overall 27th sent to the Middle East, was dispatched as part of Pakistan’s ongoing humanitarian efforts.
“The latest consignment, sent in collaboration with Al-Khidmat Foundation, comprises approximately 85 tons of canned food, 10 tons of rice and two tons of powdered milk,” the NDMA said.
“The aid was transported via a chartered flight from Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, to Amman (Jordon) for onward distribution to the people of Palestine.”
Israel ended its months-long ceasefire with Hamas by launching a surprise bombardment on Mar. 18 and has been carrying out daily waves of strikes since then. Israeli forces have expanded a buffer zone, encircled the southern city of Rafah, and now control around 50 percent of the territory.
Israel has also sealed off the territory’s two million Palestinians from all imports, including food and medicine, for nearly 60 days. Aid groups say supplies will soon run out and that thousands of children are malnourished.
Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic ties with Israel, has consistently condemned Israeli military actions and called for the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid into Palestinian territory.
The South Asian country has dispatched a total of 1,615 tons of relief aid exclusively for Palestine, according to the NDMA. Overall, Pakistan has sent 2,142 tons of humanitarian aid, including 416 tons for Lebanon and 111 tons for Syria.
“The Government of Pakistan remains steadfast in its commitment to standing with the people of Palestine and will continue to provide humanitarian assistance based on the evolving needs of those affected by the ongoing crisis,” the authority said.
Pakistan leads journalists’ group to Azad Kashmir, aiming to debunk Indian claims on militant camps
- Indian media has since last week alleged presence of terror training camps in Azad Kashmir, raising fears India may launch strikes on them
- Information minister leads supervised visit of group of journalists to Bella Noor Shah near Muzaffarabad, the main city in Azad Kashmir
Bela Noor Shah, Muzaffarabad: The Pakistan government on Monday arranged a visit for local and foreign journalists to areas of the part of the disputed Kashmir region it governs, saying it was aiming to counter claims by Indian media that militant training camps were operating there.
New Delhi has blamed Islamabad of involvement in an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last week in which 26 people were killed, the deadliest in the region in decades. Islamabad denied the allegations and has asked for evidence of its involvement, which Delhi has not publicly shared. However, Indian media has since the April 22 assault variously alleged the presence of militant training camps in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the part of the disputed valley governed by Pakistan, raising fears that India may launch attacks near the border to take out the camps.
The nuclear-armed neighbors have also since the attack announced a raft of punitive measures against each other, while their forces have exchanged fire for 10 consecutive days across the Line of Control (LOC), the de facto border that divides disputed Kashmir between the two nations.
For the first time since the attack on the tourist site in Pahalgam, Pakistani authorities allowed a group of journalists working for local and foreign news organizations access to the mountain village of Bella Noor Shah, near Muzaffarabad, the main city in Azad Kashmir. The journalists flew by helicopter to Muzaffarabad and then drove around 50 minutes by jeep to Bella Noor Shah where they spent around two hours before bad weather cut short the trip.
“There were numerous contradictions and inconsistencies in their [Indian] claims, and they failed to substantiate them and we are proactively present at one of the locations India has alleged to be a terrorist camp,” Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, who led the visit, told journalists at Bela Noor Shah.
“The Indian allegations regarding [militant camps in] the areas of Bela Noor Shah and Pir Chinasi in Azad Kashmir are fabricated and baseless, as not only is the local population living a normal life, but educational institutions are functioning and tourism is continuing as usual,” he added.
Speaking to Arab News at Bela Noor Shah, Muzaffarabad Commissioner Ghuftar Hussain denied the presence of militant camps in the entire area.
“This is a tourist spot and very peaceful area where people from all over Kashmir and Pakistan came for recreation,” he told Arab News.
Residents of the village also told reporters they had never seen such camps in the area.
“I am a university student in Muzaffarabad and have frequently visited various places in the area with friends, but I have never seen any camps anywhere in these regions,” Ameer Ali, 23, a resident of the nearby village Sawan Pani who had come for recreation at the top of the hill, said.
Shafaat Qadri, a 45-year-old local resident and madrassah teacher, agreed.
“Today, I brought a visiting friend to this picnic spot who is here from Rawalakot University,” he added. “Visiting this place has been part of our routine, and if there were any suspicious activities here, they could not go unnoticed by the locals.”
The LoC, along which India claims terror camps operate, runs 742km (460 miles). The military frontline, which passes through inhospitable terrain, is heavily militarized with both Indian and Pakistani forces even in times of peace and has separated hundreds of families and even divided villages and mountains.
Monday’s trip was reminiscent of one in 2019, when Pakistani authorities allowed a group of journalists working for foreign news organizations, and foreign diplomats based in Islamabad, access to the site of a madrassa on a remote hilltop in Balakot, a town located in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northern Pakistan. Weeks ago, India had alleged it had struck the school and killed hundreds of "terrorists" and their trainers and associates. Pakistan rejected the accusations.
During that standoff, Pakistani jets shot down an Indian aircraft in actions spread over two days.
Pakistan cuts interest rate to spur growth as ‘geopolitical’ tensions pose economic challenges
- Monday’s decision came against the backdrop of soaring tensions with neighboring India following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian Kashmir
- The central bank expects the economy to settling between 2.5 and 3.5%, mainly because of low agricultural output and industrial outturns
KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank on Monday slashed the key policy rate by 100 basis points 11% to spur growth, amid challenges posed by trade tariffs and geopolitical tensions with archrival India.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said global uncertainty surrounding trade tariffs and geopolitical developments warranted a “measured monetary policy stance,” espite the favorable inflation outlook. This is the lowest rate since December 2021.
Monday’s decision came against the backdrop of soaring tensions with neighboring India following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian Kashmir. The nuclear-armed neighbors have announced measures meant to harm each other’s economy.
It also came ahead of an imminent decision by the International Monetary Fund to release the next tranche of $1 billion to Islamabad from its $7 billion bailout program, with the previously “sticky” core inflation easing to 8% in April.
“The committee noted that inflation declined sharply during March and April, mainly due to a reduction in administered electricity prices and continued downtrend in food inflation,” the central bank said in a statement after a meeting of its monetary policy committee (MPC).
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif government’s efforts to revive Pakistan’s debt-ridden economy with the help of International Monetary Fund (IMF) received repeated setbacks after the US imposed 29% tariffs on its imports, followed by a military standoff with neighboring India that holds Islamabad responsible for the recent Kashmir attack. Given this the central bank decided to maintain a measured monetary policy stance.
The IMF has sharply downgraded its 2025 and 2026 growth projections for advanced and emerging economies because of the prevailing global uncertainty around tariffs that has triggered heightened financial market volatility and a sharp decline in global oil prices.
“Considering the evolving developments and risks, the MPC viewed that the real policy rate remains adequately positive to stabilize inflation in the target range of 5 – 7%, while ensuring that the economy grows on a sustainable basis,” the SBP said.
The government expects the economy to expand 3.6% this fiscal year ending in June, while the central bank sees it settling between 2.5% to 3.5%, mainly because of low agricultural output and “below expectation” outturns in industrial production.
The central bank expects the economy to expand next fiscal year but warned of risks emanating from global uncertainty.
Shahid Ali Habib, chief executive officer at Arif Habib Corporation Ltd., termed the central bank decision “very good” and said lower borrowing costs will create economic activity in the South Asian nation where the full-year inflation is expected to remain at 5%, the current account to post nearly $1.3 billion surplus and international oil prices to range between $60 and $62 a barrel.
“The State Bank wants to spur some growth as our large-scale manufacturing growth remains very low at around 1.9%,” Habib told Arab News. “This is a very good decision to kick off economic growth in the country.”
Debt-ridden Pakistan, which had repaid or rolled over most of the $26 billion foreign loans it had to repay this year, expects its foreign exchange reserves to increase to $14 billion by the end of next month on the back of expected realization of planned official inflows.
The IMF’s executive board is scheduled to meet later this week to approve the release of about $1 billion tranche to Pakistan. The board’s approval has most of the time been a formality after the signing of a staff-level agreement between the Washington-based lender and the authorities in Islamabad.
The country’s trade deficit though sharply rose to $3.4 billion in April, but the central bank said easing global oil prices were moderating Pakistan’s overall import bill.
Last month, Pakistan’s trade deficit widened by 55% to $3.39 billion, marking the highest monthly trade gap in three years, according to Topline Securities Ltd.
“Going forward, the MPC expects this build-up in FX reserves to continue in FY26, based on a moderate current account deficit and improved financial inflows,” the SBP said.
The record inflow of worker remittances and the SBP’s purchases of dollars partially cushioned the impact of large ongoing debt repayments on the central bank’s forex reserves that have declined to $10.2 billion.
The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), the country’s top representative body of trade and industries, expressed disappointment over the SBP’s decision.
“The policy rate continues to be 11.0% as of today – which reflects a premium of 1,070 basis points (bps) as compared to inflation and it makes no economic sense,” FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh said in a statement, demanding a cut of 500 basis points.
Monday’s cut was higher than market expectations as majority of the economists were expecting a 50 basis points cut, according to Mohmmed Sohail, chief executive officer at Topline Securities Ltd., which last month conducted a poll on rate cut expectations.
“We will see gradual economic growth led by lower rates,” said Sohail, who expected another 100 basis points reduction in the interest rate by December.
‘We are not afraid’: Pakistanis at India-Pakistan border ceremony amid Kashmir tensions
- Soldiers from both nations perform aggressive marches, avoid traditional handshake as emotions run high over standoff
- Border crossing closed after attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blames on Pakistan, which denies charge
At the Wagah-Attari border, which marks the final boundary between the nuclear-armed nations of India and Pakistan, the atmosphere is charged with patriotism. The sound of drums can be heard as soldiers perform a choreographed, ceremonial march, showcasing both countries’ pride.
However, the usual symbol of cooperation — a handshake between the two countries’ soldiers — is missing, and the iron gates that separate the two sides remain locked. This is in the context of tense relations between India and Pakistan, heightened by a deadly attack in Kashmir.
Despite the tension, people gather to express their feelings, celebrate their national identities, and watch the dramatic flag-lowering ceremony that has become a symbolic ritual at the border. Visitors on the Pakistani side say they are not afraid of the soaring tensions and for them, it is business as usual.
“We don’t feel any such tension. We feel that we are as safe as we used to be before,” Muhammad Luqman, a Pakistani teacher who was visiting the Wagah border, told AFP.
“The reason for this is that we feel our country’s defense is in strong hands. We don’t have any sort of doubt or fear.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military “full operational freedom” to respond to the attack as public anger swelled in his country after New Delhi accused Pakistan of involvement in the April 22 attack that killed 26 tourists. Islamabad has denied the allegations and called for a credible international probe into it.
On Monday, Pakistan carried out a second missile test in three days after saying it was preparing for an incursion by India.
The two nuclear-armed countries have exchanged gunfire along their de facto border in Kashmir, and there have been fears that the latest crisis between the nuclear-armed rivals, who have fought three wars, including two over the disputed region of Kashmir, could spiral into a military conflict.
“Pakistan is a brave nation. We live near the Wagah border. If there is any danger, we will be first picked up from the village, then it will be the turn of the people of the city, because we live in the [border] village,” said Muhammad Abu Bakar, a student.
“The villagers should be afraid, but the villagers are not afraid.”
The flare-up between India and Pakistan has once again alarmed world and regional powers, who have called for restraint and urged the two neighbors to resolve the crisis through dialogue.
